Friday, 3 August 2012

At either end of Aldermaston Wharf are signs stating “Dead Slow – Moored boats ahead”. Whilst working in the workshop today the joiners and I all commented on the excessive speed of passing boats. OK, there were some heavy showers…… so did the steerers think they could outrun the rain? I also noted they were all private owners. This evening Jan was leaning out Waiouru’s side hatch when a hire boat went past at my sprinting speed. I wonder what the marina manager will say tomorrow when I inform him it was one of his boats based at the wharf! The hirer of nb Rustic Bunting either doesn’t know the maximum speed, or doesn’t care! The stupidity of the act is compounded by the fact that the wharf is situated on 400 metres of pound between two locks and a lift bridge. Little time can be gained by speeding through the pound.

On the opposite side of the canal is a Steiner Waldof School. I assumed it was some type of private music or art school.

Alder Bridge School

Wikipedia has some information <here> about Steiner Waldof education, however I found most of it to be “mumbo jumbo”. I then read some “darker” information on another website <here> which claimed the Wikipedia information had been “cleansed” and that the whole educational philosophy is based on nonsense. All very entertaining. Actually I was surprised to read there are a number of Steiner Waldof schools in Australia! Anyway, If I could understand it I would be able to make up my mind as to its merits.

Nb Cat’s Whiskers stopped at the wharf. Richard and James replaced the timber on her doors and hatches earlier in the year. we particularly like the bow timber stable doors Richard made.

Jan has decided she doesn’t like the arch at the top and bottom of the windows and would prefer a rectangular window.

No photo of today’s progress on Waiouru as the entire day was spent in the workshop making the freezer and cupboard doors. The doors and in the frame and it will all be glued and screwed in place tomorrow. Hopefully we will also cut the hole through the rear cabin timber floor and blackwater tank for the gauge. I’d like to have the tank gauge installed before the toilet is installed. Cutting it after the toilet had been commissioned would be an unpleasant task!

This blog is about us, Tom and Jan.
After a decade of travelling from 'down-under' every two years to spend a brief few weeks having a wonderful canal holiday we decided to eliminate the travel and do it full time on retirement. In 2011 we moved to the UK and built Waiouru before spending 6 wonderful years cruising.
In 2017 we sold our lovely boat and moved back to Perth, West Australia where other adventures are on the 'bucket list'.